Device for forming and projecting composite images



Nov. 22, 1949 w. w. WOOD 2,488,955

DEVICE FOR FORMING AND PROJECTING COMPOSITE IMAGES Filed Sept. 19, 19452 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

W/LL/AM W WOOD BY WM riug Nov. 22, 1949 w. w. WOOD 2,488,955

DEVICE FOR FORMING AND PROJECTING COMPOSITE IMAGES Filed Sept. 19, 19452 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. WILL/14M W. WOOD ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 22,1949 DEVICE FOR FORMING AND PROJECTING COMPOSITE. DIAGES William W.Wood, Washington, D. 0. Application September 19, 1945, Serial No.617,341

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for forming composite images, andmore particularly to a device whereby engineers, architects, and othersmay assemble composite images for devices and structures of all kinds,especially rooms where the details are subject to pre-selection andrearrangement by the buyer or builder.

An object of the invention is to provide a device whereby an architect,for example, may show to a client the outline of a room and place in theplan of the room various windows, doors, floor coverings of difierentcolors, et cetera, until the client has made a selection, whereuponnumbers associated with the various individual images in the device canbe read off to indicate how the complete composite image is assembled.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification where,by way of illustration, the device is shown as applied to assemblingcomposite images of rooms. Obviously, however, the device could be usedto assemble composite images of a machine or an object of any othercharacter and description. The invention is therefore not limited to thespecific use herein disclosed, which is merely illustrative.

Experience has shown that architects can effect substantial savings fortheir clients if they can show the client in advance of actuallypreparing floor plans just what comprises the details. In a room forexample the client often desires to see how a certain type of windowwould look, how a door should be located, or how the complete room wouldlook withwalls and ceiling of one color and the floor of another. Bypresent methods, this entails a great deal of drawing and many sketches,often in color, and many changes occur as the consultation proceeds;much work must be done which is ultimately discarded and for which theclient or the architect must pay. The result is that in planning manyrooms details are ig-- nored, as the prospective builder cannot affordan architect's services or that of an interior decorator. Accordingly,the design is often selected from ready made designs, withunsatisfactory results.

The present invention eliminates this difliculty as it provides thearchitect with a device by which he can quickly show the buyer just whata room will look like and make a wide variety of changes in order tomeet the buyer's requirements without any drawing and at very littleexpense. When the final design is selected an enlargement can be made ofthe composite image hereinafter described and this enlargement can bemade to scale so that by the use of this device a great deal of drawingis eliminated in of the final design.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view of the base of the device with parts broken away toshow the construction;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but looking at the front of thedevice, and partly in section on the line 2-2, Figure 3;

Figure 3 is a sectional view through the line 33 of Figure 2; and IFigure 4 is a diagrammatic as applied to a projector.

Referring to Figure 1, the numeral I0 denotes a back plate forming asupport and made of any suitable material. If made of metal or opaquematerial the plate has an opening ll therein adapted to frame imagesdisplayed therein. If the plate is of transparent material, this openingis merely a frame defined in any suitable manner thereon, and it will beunderstood that the word opening is used in this specification andclaims in this sense and describes an area of the surfaces l 0 and 26.

The plate or support I0 has riveted or otherwise secured therein thehollow shaft l2 upon which is supported a plurality of transparent discsl3, l4, l5. Any suitable number of discs can be used.

Each disc carries thereon a plurality if images or indicia such as thoseindicated on disc I5 at l6, ll, [8, IQ of various parts of a building.The example given is that of windows. Disc It may have side walls andceilings such as shown at 2|], 2|, 22, 23. Disc 13 may have floors suchas shown at 24. Another disc (not shown) may have doors such as shown at25. Obviously other discs could be added having furniture, fixtures orany other parts or equipment for a room, building or any object.

The discs may be of suflicient size to accommodate as many images oneach disc .as desired.

The images can be put on the discs in any manner such as by printing, orphotography and can be colored if desired.

The images on all the discs are so related to the axes thereof thatthese images can be superposed to form a single composite image when thediscs are revolved to bring the desired images thereon into registrywithin the opening I I so as .to be framed therein.

By revolving any disc While the others are held stationary, changes canbe effected in the composite image. For example, the window I! can besubstituted for the window IS in Figures 1 and connection with printsview of the device 2 by rotating disc I5 clockwise until H is in properregistry in the composite view at l i.

It will now be seen that by moving the discs 9. wide variety ofcombinations can be produced. This is of particular advantage whenimages are colored, as various color combinations of floor. walls, andceiling can be tried out, various door and window arrangements triedout, all with a minimum of eflort, no accurate fitting of the variousimages being necessary.

Means for clamping the discs in any desired position is provided by theplate 26 which has a tongue 26 extending into an opening in stem l2.whereby this disc is positioned with its frame opening 21 aligned withand overlying opening II in the plate I, plates l and 28 together withshaft l2 forming a framework or support for the revolvable discs [3 toHi, inclusive, lying therebetween.

A washer 28 and clamp nut 29 are provided, the nut engaging the threadedouter end of shaft (2 as best seen in Figure 3. When the nut is loosethe discs l3 to l5 inclusive may be adjusted. and when so adjusted maybe clamped in position by tightening nut 29.

Means for moving each disc is provided by perforating the freelyextending edge thereof as indicated at 30, or notching the same asindicated at 3|. By inserting a pencil or any suitable object in theseholes or notches, each disc can be moved independently of the others.The nut 29 can be loosened when moving the discs which readily slide oneach other.

Means for indicating the relative positions of the discs is provided byplacing a mark, such as the arrow 32, on the plate 26, and numbers asshown at 33 on the edges of the discs as shown in Figure 2. In thatfigure the numbers 632 appear below the arrow 33 thus indicating thatthe sixth image on disc IS, the third image on disc I4 and the secondimage on disc l3 are combined to form the composite image in the opening21. If instead of the window image IS on disc I5, image I1 thereon wasused, then the figures below arrow 32 would read 2, 3, 2. Thus, for eachimage on a disc, there is a corresponding number or other indicia on thefree edge of the disc, so that any set-up having been selected, it isonly necessary to note the numbers below arrow 32 in order to reassemblethe images to duplicate the original set-up or composite image.

As the openings ll, 21 are aligned, the device can be held between theuser and the light to readily view the composite images in theseopenings. The openings can be of any convenient size to tak Kodachromepictures of standard size, or microfilm, and if the latter are of theproper sizes, these may be viewed directly or a magnifier can be used.

In some instances it is desirable to project the composite image, andthis may be accomplished as shown in Figure 4 where the numeral 34denotes the framework of a suitable projector having the usual lenssystem including the projection lens 35. The plate It has an extension36 thereon adapted to engage a portion 34 of the framework 34 and isclamped thereto by clamp screw 31. The openings H, 21 are aligned withthe optical path of the projector and the composite images lie in thefocal plane of the back focus of lens 35. These images may now beprojected to screen 38 in the usual way, and by adjusting discs [3 tol5, inclusive, the projected image can be readily changed.

The instant invention may be used to advantage in connection with makingplans for structures in accordance with the method disclosed in thecopending application Serial Number 604,847, filed July 13, 1945,abandoned June 30, 1948, and entitled Planning methods. In the saidapplication there is disclosed a projector employing a plurality offilms which are used to assemble a composite image. The instantinvention can be used instead of said plurality of films to form thecomposite image to be projected as disclosed in said copendingapplication.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the character described, a plate having an openingtherein, a plurality of transparent members rotatably carried on saidplate and having their axes in the center of said plate and havingindicia thereon adapted to be framed in said opening, each of saidmembers being independently movable to bring any indicia thereon intoregistry with indicia on any other member and said opening, whereby thecomposite image formed by all said indicia appearing in said opening canbe viewed therein, all said members being in frictional surface contactwith each other.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 including means for clamping saidmembers to said plate.

3. In a device of the character described, a circular plate having anopening therein, a plurality of transparent disc-like members revolvablymounted on said plate, each of said members having indicia thereonadapted to be brought into cooperative relationship with indicia on atleast one other of said members, said indicia in such cooperativerelationship being visible through said opening, said members being ofincreasingly less diameter so that there is a freely projectingperipheral edge on each of said members adjacent the periphery of saidplate, and indicia on the peripheral edges of said members adapted toindicate the relation position of same in reference to said plate.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3 including a cover plate overlyinsaid disc-like members and having an opening therein adapted to registerwith said first opening, and means for clamping said plates togetherwith said disc-like members therebetween.

5. In combination, a projector having a projection lens, a supporthaving an opening therein adapted to be positioned in the optical pathof said projector whereby images in said opening may be projected, aplurality of transparent members rotatably carried on said supportpivoted to the center thereof, each of said members having a pluralityof images thereon and each of said members being independently rotatablein respect to said support, means for rotating said members to bring theimages thereon into registry with each other, the composite imageproduced thereby being framed in the opening in said support, and meansincluding a knob for clamping said members together whereby said membersclosely overlie each other and are in surface contact to form saidcomposite image at approximately the back focus of the projection lensof said projector to be projected thereby.

6. In combination, a projector havin a projection lens, a support havingan opening therein adapted to be positioned in the optical path of saidprojector whereby images in said opening may be projected, a pluralityof transparent circular plates rotatably mounted on said plate andhaving common axes extending through said 2,4ee,au

plate, each of said plates having a plurality 01' images thereon, meansincluding a knob projecting from said plate for rotating said plates tosuperpose any of the images thereon within said opening in said supportand thereby form a composite image in the focal plane of the back focusof the lens of said projector to be projected thereby, said plates beingin frictional surface contact with each other.

'7. The combination as claimed in claim 6 including means for clampingsaid plates in any desired relative position to maintain said superposedimage in the opening in said support.

WILLIAM W. WOOD.

6 nmnmcns crrm The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PA'I'ENTS Kroner Aug. 6, 1940

